Hong Kong stages first counterterrorism drill at redeveloped Huanggang crossing

The Hong Kong government conducted its inaugural counterterrorism drill at the recently upgraded Huanggang border crossing. Approximately 5,000 civil servants participated in the exercise, which took place on Saturday. The drill aimed to assess authorities' management of passenger and vehicular traffic and enhance emergency response capabilities. Around 30 government bureaus contributed to the drill, with Security Bureau spokesman confirming the extensive participation.

Hong Kong's Secretary for Security, Chris Tang Ping-keung, oversaw the exercise and held a meeting afterward to review procedures for future tests. The drill commenced with a test in which participants entered and exited the border crossing building using public transport, while managing crowd-control arrangements. Another test involved simulating a large influx of people and vehicles at the checkpoint.

A novel "crowd flow concentrated test" was also implemented, in which numerous participants remained on assigned floors to mimic an unexpected surge in passenger numbers. This exercise gauged interdepartmental coordination and the effectiveness of managing passenger and vehicular flows. The revamped Huanggang Port, expected to handle 200,000 passenger trips daily and operate 24/7, also featured in the drill, with a simulated attack scenario involving extremists carrying firearms and ammunition.

Another scenario tested the response to a serious traffic accident on a newly connected road leading to the building. Police officers needed to route traffic onto a southbound two-way lane to access the border crossing. Authorities expressed satisfaction with the drill's smooth execution, stating that the government would finalize the opening date for the revamped checkpoint once both city and Shenzhen authorities confirm the port building's readiness for use.

Hong Kong authorities plan to conduct two additional drills later in August, involving a larger number of participants.